California's 1878-79 Constitutional Convention is one of the most under-studied events in American history. Here we have a constitution that governs 30 million people, and there has NEVER been a book-length study of the convention that approved it. 1/ https://twitter.com/IJSanders/status/1250068732921163786

Carl Brent Swisher put out a 100 page survey about it in 1930, and that's all.

What's more, the convention debates have never been republished since 1880. And the 1880 debates (which I managed to snag from a rare book dealer years ago) are 1000+ pages of 8-point type, full of 3/

some of the vilest racism & communism (yes, literally communism) you'll ever read. The 1879 debates are pretty hard to get, but they're on Google Books.

Vol. 1 https://books.google.com/books?id=lxw4AAAAIAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=california%20%22Constitutional%20Convention%22%20%22political%20abortion%22&pg=PA242#v=onepage&q&f=false

Vol. 2 https://books.google.com/books?id=0e4JAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=inauthor:%22California.+Constitutional+Convention%22+volume+1&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCoNbFkujoAhXRB80KHTgjDRcQ6AEwAHoECAIQAg

vol. 3 https://books.google.com/books?id=y_EJAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA1450&dq=inauthor:%22California.+Constitutional+Convention%22+volume+1&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCoNbFkujoAhXRB80KHTgjDRcQ6AEwAnoECAMQAg 4/

These copies are highly imperfect. Index sucks, too.

The Convention was brought abt by the demand of the Workingmen's Party, a socialist group that was the US adjunct of the I.W.W., & the "Sandlot" Irish who wanted to persecute the Chinese (but then, so did everyone else...) 5/

Probably my favorite moment is when Delegate Ringgold of Los Angeles calls the U.S. Constitution "a political abortion" because it's a capitalist document. https://books.google.com/books?id=lxw4AAAAIAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=california%20%22Constitutional%20Convention%22%20%22political%20abortion%22&pg=PA242#v=onepage&q=political%20abortion&f=false

Many Los Angelinos would agree with that sentiment today. Especially professors. 6/

I suspect 2 reasons the Convention-surely one of the most important events in US history-is been so under-studied is bc it is so obv contrary to the prevailing narrative amg the professoriat abt how capitalism & racism work, & also bc it's such an embarrassing spectacle. 7/

Still, there are two bright sparks: the two passionate speeches that delegate Charles V. Stuart of Sonoma gives in defense of the rights of the Chinese. I discuss them here: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1088544 8/

Stuart (who founded Glen Ellen, CA-named for his wife-his house there still stands https://sonomalandtrust.org/our-preserve-system/anchor-preserves/glen-oaks-ranch/) was remarkably ahead of his time, demanding school integration & the right to vote for the Chinese immigrants: https://books.google.com/books?id=y_EJAAAAIAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=inauthor%3A%22California.%20Constitutional%20Convention%22&pg=PA1238#v=onepage&q&f=false 9

"What right has the state to exact of these men poll & other school taxes & then legislate against them, prohibiting their children the privilege of her common schools? Why pass & continue to pass arbitrary & oppressive laws agst them? Why does the state fail to protect them 10/

from murder, arson & outrage? I charge the city of S.F. w cowardice in not protecting them in the exercise of their rights of 'life, liberty & the pursuit of happiness' which all men are guaranteed under our flag, while they have collected millions of $ in taxes, licenses & 11/

otherwise, agst them; they harrass & annoy them thro every device the law can invent. & why are similar outrages heaped upon them in nearly every county, town, village or hamlet in this State? Tell me; tell me; oh, tell me, why are they not protected like others in their 12/

honest toil? Or is this to be the final sum of all villainy? In case the outrages on these ppl do not cease in this state & it refuses longer to protect them, then I call upon our Govt to give them the ballot, that they may protect themselves. If it does not, then I demand 13/

the repeal of all naturalization laws, & to modify all immigration laws,with other nations, under the treaty making power."

His words were unheeded, of course. For more on the incredible abuse of the Chinese in CA I recommend: https://www.amazon.com/Driven-Out-Forgotten-against-Americans/dp/0520256948

Most of all, 14/

I hope some enterprising historian or grad student out there will publish a real, in-depth study of the 1879 Convention. It's shameful that so little is known about it. x/